Economic Survey Flags Digital Addiction, Urges Age Curbs on Social Media

• The Economic Survey 2025–26 highlights digital addiction risks, especially for youth, due to compulsive use and harmful online content.
• It notes high digital penetration among Indian youth (15–29) and warns of economic and social costs like lost study hours, lower productivity, and health issues.
• Digital addiction is defined as excessive engagement with devices, leading to distress, functional impairment, and links to anxiety, stress, and sleep disorders.
• Recommendations include robust age verification, age-appropriate default settings for platforms, and parental workshops on setting digital boundaries.
• The survey suggests simpler devices for children, content filters, and network-level safeguards, citing Australia's ban for under-16s as an international precedent.

Why It Matters: Economic Survey 2025–26 warns of digital addiction, advocating age restrictions and safeguards for youth on online platforms.